Perry wins 10k and Chinese title

Chatteris cueman Joe Perry won the second Asian tour title of his career when lifting the Xuzhou Open in China today (January 24).

Perry (40), who has found the best form of his career in recent seasons, compiled breaks of 60, 51 and 66 to beat Thailand’s Un-Nooh and claim the £10,000 top prize in Jiangsu Province.

It’s the second time Perry has won a tournament which counts towards the world ranking list, having won an Asian Tour event in Yixing last season. The world number 13 was also runner-up at this season’s Wuxi Classic.

“It’s always a surprise to win a tournament because the standard is so high,” said Perry. “Some of the Chinese amateurs in this event were as good as professionals.

“We both missed a few balls early in the final, but once I settled down I played well and controlled the match. I felt that if I could cut out the mistakes and keep my safety good then I would get chances.

“I know Thepchaiya is an exceptional talent and I’m sure he’ll be in many more finals. Maybe he was a bit nervous today.”

Earlier in the semi-finals, Perry came from 3-2 down to edge out Tom Ford from Leicestershire 4-3 while Un-Nooh reached his first pro final by beating Mark Williams 4-1.

Perry had enjoyed a comfortable passage to the last four in a tournament that most of the world’s top players have ignored.